WellesleyWeston Magazine

WINTER 2012/2013

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

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excursions "kids have fun" They'll help you discover a quiet afternoon through ice fishing or the jingle of bells on a horse-drawn sleigh. Take in the serenity of the local hardwoods and open pastures on a winter horseback trail ride, or see the tops of those trees on Arbor's Wild Winter Ride, a zip line canopy tour through dense Vermont mountain forest. Satisfy your need for speed with a dogsled ride to a remote lake called Little Elmore, with doggie treats for your new furry friends and hot choco- late or tea for you après-ride. The starlight snowshoe tour and yurt dinner is another unique way Sugarloaf Mountain Resort The on-site Nordic Barn Recreational Center specializes in hik- ing and snowshoeing on the Topnotch Trail System or the Stowe Recreation Path. Sleigh rides are available, as their 'Gentle Giants' take guests across the resort's moonlit meadows. Of course there's nothing wrong with just chilling when it's cold outside. Topnotch has lots of cozy living room space, a big fireplace, and great views of the mountains. And what's a winter's night without an outdoor fire pit for s'mores? Stowe Mountain Lodge Maggy Dunphy, director of the Spa and Wellness Center at the nearby Stowe Mountain Lodge, oversees the resort's recreation department and works to ensure there's plenty to do for the active non-skier, from spa services to Zumba and every yoga class in between. "And one can always choose to actually relax, enjoy the serenity of Vermont, and sit in front of our fireplaces snuggled up with a good book," she adds. 180 to celebrate winter in style. Explore Mansfield State Forest on a guided snowshoe tour lit only by the stars and headlamps. As you emerge from the forest, you'll be greeted by a warm fire outside an elegantly rustic yurt where dinner awaits. But don't think a trip to Stowe means you have to stay in Stowe. With the guided day trips, you can tour the town, the state, or even another country. While your travel partner is making his or her ski run, make your own run to the border with the Montreal Day Tour, a full day spent in the romantic Canadian city. You can also keep it local with the popular Taste of Vermont Tour, a fantastical journey for your taste buds, to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Cabot Cheese, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and Lake Champlain Chocolates. The youth programming at the Lodge is bar none, where kids have fun while leaving their parents to do boring adult stuff. They can join a circus with the Circus Camp and Show (complete circus skill lessons and an evening performance) or become a world-class outdoor adven- ture seeker with Tracking Where the Vermont Wild Things Are. In the works is a 1.7-mile recreation path, the lodge's eventual go-to place for snowshoeing, family hiking, dog walking, and scavenger hunts. "The sky's the limit," says Dunphy. They're also in the beginning phases of the Spruce Peak Community, with future plans to include an adventure center, teen center, and ice rink. Sugarloaf Mountain Resort Some places are just synonymous with ski vacations. As the largest ski WellesleyWeston Magazine | winter 2012/2013

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